Written by Michael Goens
The Hays City Shootout from all of two weeks ago not only cracked a seal on 2024-25 basketball but also portended an early-season matchup of top-10 girls basketball teams. Hays seized the shootout title when it slipped past Life Prep, the same team that tipped Manhattan to open the season’s long grind.
On Friday night, Class 6A no. 10-ranked MHS saw chances to pop those unbeaten Hays Indians evaporate in the game’s final four minutes of a 56-48 setback. Hays (6-0; 5A no. 5) turned to situational sub Zoe Winter for 11 crucial fourth-quarter points as the Tribe could not deny the solid forward on low block touches.
Hays did dirty work inside to realize advantages when MHS (4-2) had just enough empty trips.
“That was big, those second shots,” Manhattan High coach Scott Mall said. “We got some fouls, they got some baskets. We need to keep working and try to get better at defensive boards, about grabbing the ball. We battled the whole way. It was big down the stretch when Bailey Busch got into foul trouble, they went inside at her.”
